


On Your Own

by Hmu2020



Series: Mother. [1]
Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Background & cameo characters may become main characters later on, Canon Divergence - Hiccup Leaves Before The Final Training Test, Dragon Master Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, Eret stays a trapper, F/M, Family, Minor Character Death, Mother-Son Relationship, Night Furies (How to Train Your Dragon), POV Astrid Hofferson, POV Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, POV Valka, Parent Valka (How to Train Your Dragon), Protective Toothless (How to Train Your Dragon), Self-Sacrifice, Snotlout is sort of a dick, eventual hiccstrid, for now at least, will update tags as I go along
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-29
Updated: 2020-03-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 18:54:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 20
Words: 15,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22950547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hmu2020/pseuds/Hmu2020
Summary: Valka doesn't know who the other dragon rider is, she doesn't need to. He helps and that's all she needs to know.Until a rescue goes wrong, and she has to take off the helmet.Chapter 20: *COMPLETED*3/2/2020 Changed rating to teen for mild language3/3/2020 Added more chapters to fit everything I want to happen in this part of the story without it feeling rushed.
Relationships: (eventually), Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III & Valka, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III/Astrid Hofferson
Series: Mother. [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1650658
Comments: 16
Kudos: 214





	1. Learning to Fly (Mixed)

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!  
> This work is inspired by the deleted scene of the night raid on Eret's fort from the second film.  
> This is my first work on any site  
> Criticism is welcome  
> Just don't be a dick

The Trapper held his knife to her throat, a smug smile on his face.

"Ah, Ah... Not tonight _dragonrider_." He gestured to the caged dragons around us "These dragons, belong to Drago now"

Valka struggled to get away from the arrogant man, he simply disgusted her.

"Heh... What? D'you think we're just going to let you go? " The man taunted. His tattooed face contorted into a scowl. "After all Drago's been looking for you, He'll pay a fine price for you and your dra-" A familiar high pitched screech filled the air cutting the man off

Valka smirked behind he mask. " Did you think I came alone _trapper?_ " She said the last word with a particular disdain. The men around her looked into the sky fearfully.

Valka wrenched her arms free from the trapper's grip and stuck them in the air, a moment later she was in the air, being pulled along at a remarkable speed by the night fury and his rider. "Did you get her Toothless?" 

The dragon grunted out a yes. The night fury turned his head to look at her and gave her a gummy smile, it's jade green eyes dilated, looking more like a cat than a dragon.

The rider stuck out his hand for Val to grab. She was pulled onto the back of the cat-dragon.

The rider looked over his shoulder, his face obscured by a black dragon-scale helmet. "You remember how to use the tail?" He asked Valka. She nodded. "Good, take control. I'm going to get Cloudjumper." Valka didn't have time to object or ask how before he leaped from the dragons back and disappeared into the night sky

<Hiccup's POV>

Hiccup was in free fall for nearly a minute.

He came to the fort at the request of one of his only allies, not knowing what to expect, but he helped because there were dragons in need. He huffed to himself.

 _'Stupid good heart'_ He thought to himself

When he finally saw the torchlight he popped his wings out of their compartment and started to glide toward the fort. He saw the Stormcutter still netted down and being harassed by trappers. He pulled his arms close and dove catching speed until he grabbed a loose rope from the fort to slow himself. 

He landed behind the trappers, they still somehow hadn't noticed his presence. He unsheathed his blade.

"Well if you guys are done ogling the dragon, I can kick your asses" 

The trappers turned and looked at him in shock. A demon with a prosthetic and a fire sword.

The leader pointed his short sword at him and the men charged Hiccup. Hiccup dodged and weaved in between trappers trailing zippleback gas as he went. He sparked the other end of his hilt and the gas detonated, knocking most of the men unconscious and injuring a few.

Hiccup looked at the men sprawled out on the ground behind him and then the leader

"You need better men"

The leader turned and ran deeper into the fort. Hiccup sighed, cut the Cloudjumper loose, and pursued. It was never easy.

The deeper he went the more concerned he became, the entire building looked as if it was ready to explode. It was completely wired to explode.


	2. But I ain't got wings (Mixed)

It was a large room, high ceilings, and dimly lit. Dragon cages lined the walls of the room, filled with different species. It was the object at the center of the room that caught Hiccup's attention though. It was a _bomb._

The bomb was a complex device. A timed explosive that would kill everything in the room and flatten the fort, _it was a distraction._

It was meant to distract him, to stop him from pursuing the leader. And it worked.

Hiccup got to work freeing dragons as quickly as possible. The timer, from what he could tell, did not have long left on it. 

_'Shit Shit Shit'_ repeated over and over in his head, Hiccup quickly herded the dragons out of the building trying to save as many as possible.

The other vigilante landed Toothless nearby.

"What's going on? Where's the leader?" she asked slightly confused by Hiccup's frantic behavior

"Didn't have time to catch him, there's a bomb we have to get out! Lead the dragons away it'll level this place!"

"What about you?"

"I'm saving the people, everyone deserves a second chance." He ran off before she could respond. He sensed she disapproved, however.

Hiccup and Toothless quickly got to work dragging the trapper's unconscious bodies away from the fort.

"Bud, drag them behind the ridge!"

Toothless warbled in agreement.

There was only one left when the bomb went off, throwing Hiccup a few feet. The explosion was massive, but it wasn't the explosion itself that was dangerous to Hiccup, it was the _shrapnel._ The rock and wood were thrown at high speeds in every direction, a few colliding with Hiccup's body knocking him unconscious.

<Valka's POV>

* * *

She didn't see the other rider when the smoke cleared. She walked the charred ground of the ruined fort searching for him, calling out. Valka saw the outline of the night fury first, nudging a figure on the ground with his muzzle. She picked up her pace. She approached the dragon and the figure on the ground until she got close enough to make out the black armor of the rider, a rotten wood splinter sticking out of his chest. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight.

_'Oh no'_

Valka knelt next to his body. The rider was on his side bleeding from his wound, likely with a head injury from the shockwave of the blast to boot. Valka turned to the Night Fury

"Are you alright with being carried?" Toothless nodded slightly, not looking up from his friend. "I got 'em"

She carefully lifted him into her arms, he was far lighter than she expected. Cloudjumper lowered himself to allow Valka to climb easier with the body in her hands.

"Let's go home"

The Stormcutter lifted into the air, heading north towards the Sanctuary. The flight wasn't a long one but it sure felt like it, the rider's breathing fading more and more as time went on. Valka couldn't help herself but to cry, just a few tears, for one of the only others who believed that peace was possible between humans and dragons. She could not do anything other than wait and hope that he made it to the nest. It felt like a dagger to the chest. Over and over again she thought about how she could've talked him out of going to save the trappers but, he went and now he might not make it. The king could help of course but only if he made it that long. She couldn't help but curse herself for asking him to help when she could've done it on her own or with the king. Maybe the bomb wouldn't have even gone off if that were the case. Valka knew that she shouldn't think like that but, she couldn't help herself with all of the other mistakes she made in her past.

When the nest came into view over the horizon, her heart lifted slightly as he was still alive and breathing. Valka landed in the central part of the nest and rushed down to the lake where the king rested with his body in her arms, Toothless following closely behind. The King lifted his colossal head to gaze at them. Valka placed the rider's body on the ground before him

"My King, this human has been the one helping us with the rescues." she began "And now he needs our help"

The king turned his gaze towards the limp body on the ground. " **REMOVE** " Valka pulled the rotten wood shard out, causing the rider to cry out in pain. He was hushed by Valka

"Shh...you are being healed, my friend" 

The king looked at the Night Fury " **BURN** " Valka watched as the night fury opened his maw and began to cauterize the bleeding wound, sealing it. The king calmed the rider by projecting images of peace into his mind. When the procedure was finished the king projected images of family to Valka, confusing her.

"What do you mean, my king?"

" **REMOVE** "

Valka pressed her hands to the sides of the rider's dragon scale helmet and slowly lifted it. Valka's eyes trailed down the boy's face until her eyes caught on a small scar below his chin.

" _Hiccup..._ " 

She gasped and began softly sobbing, her son was within arms reach for years.


	3. Started Out All Alone (Valka)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I messed with the timelines a little bit  
> Hiccup is 18 and Valka is 38 during this story but it takes place during the events of HTTYD 2  
> And Flashbacks are italicized  
> Thanks!

Valka could hardly believe it. Her son was in her arms, after so many years. She lifted him and slowly walked up to her cave, Toothless and Cloudjumper following after her. She set him down on the bedding that she had collected over the years and worked to remove the blood-soaked armor. When the armor was off his torso she noticed all of the scars on his body. One looked like he got struck by lightning, the pattern stretching down his arm, another an arrow wound and his new scar a burn mark that reached across his chest. She very nearly cried at the sight of all of them, because her son, her child, went through all of it. He had been hurt so many times, so many different ways and she nor anyone was there to help him.

His pack was attached to the back of his armor by a few leather straps. After a small argument with herself about going through his things she opened it. The bag was packed lightly with only a few books and charcoal writing sticks, she assumed the rest of his things were on Toothless' saddle. She took out the first book, a brown dried leather cover, when she opened she expected a book of notes but, when unfolded it was a hand-drawn map. Islands from the archipelago were in the center, along with the native species of dragons, but the map went farther in every direction with some dragons that even she had never seen before, _Deathsong-page 12, Triple Stryke-page 17, Quaken-page 25,_ she had never heard any of these names. There was even the nest that was behind the dragon raids with a single dragon named there, _The Red Death-page 5- AVOID_ , she would need to ask him about that. He had gone so far. There were orange dotted lines that surrounded a group of islands labeled, _Hunter territory_ , that specific territory was shrinking by the looks of it with faded lines farther out. But what confused her the most was a red circle that surrounded Berk and her sister islands (except Berserker Island), this line was not labeled, however. She was impressed, the map was well-drawn.

The next book, a black leather cover was a Book of Dragons, without the kill on sight parts. The book was well cataloged and well written with drawings and all the information one could ask for. She found the Read Death on page five as the map said but, rather than a full-body drawing of the dragon there was only a head. The page had little information other than, _Alpha Species, Extremely large,_ and something horrified her, _Engages in Cannibalism to keep_ _dragons in line_. It was the only one labeled 'kill' and Valka couldn't help but agree. All of the sudden the raids on Berk made sense, this 'queen' made the others raid to feed her. It was disgusting.

The last book was a journal with a leather tie around it. This one she would not read, she would rather hear his stories from him.

Toothless snapped her out of her thoughts as he got up out of the bedding, stretching _exactly_ like a cat. The Night Fury did not look as she expected, to the point he surprised her when they first met.

* * *

_The Stormcutter flew in circles above the lone trapper's ship preparing to attack, before a fire at the front of the boat distracted the crew. Valka, slightly suspicious, asked Cloudjumper to land on the mast, with the fog and the fire they wouldn't be spotted._

_The trappers quickly approached the blaze attempting to put it out before they all recoiled from the flames as to their surprise and Valka's, a man in black armor walked through the fire followed an ebony dragon. The man paused for a moment before reaching to his hip and grabbing, what looked like an empty sword hilt until a blade shot out of the end and lit on fire. The trappers were shocked at the display, some shouting demon, they were all cut off when the man attacked, moving fluidly between them dispatching each one._

_When all were on the ground he worked at opening the cages, freeing dragons. Valka was in shock at first, but when the shock wore off, her heart soared._

_She wasn't the only one._

* * *

Valka was pulled out of her memory by Hiccup stirring next to her.

"What the hell happened? My head feels like I got hit by a gronkle again" He quickly reached to his side and felt the burn. "Did someone cauterize me?"

He was quickly shushed by Valka "Shh...You probably have a concussion, Hiccup"

"How do you know my name?"He asked slightly confused about his whereabouts 

"You wouldn't remember me...the last time I saw you was eighteen years ago when you were only a babe... but a mother never forgets her own"

Hiccup gasped slightly, then when he fully processed what had been said his eyes widened and began breathing harder. " _You were right here all this time_ "

He began to cry, causing Valka to embrace him. "Wh-Why didn't you come back?"

"I believed you would be safer if I stayed away, no matter how much it broke my heart" He held onto her like she was the only thing keeping him on the ground.

"Safer? From what?"

"From me. It thought it would've been easier to not have two parents with opposing views to impress"

"I didn't impress him anyway"

That broke Valka's heart even more. Stoick wasn't close to him, he might as well have grown up alone.

"I forgive you." That made her heart skip a beat as she held him even tighter.

"I don't deserve it"

"I don't care" They sat there for the longest time, mother and son together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How was the reunion?  
> I hope I did it justice.  
> Please leave comments, just don't be a dick.  
> Thanks for reading!


	4. And the Sun Went Down (Hiccup)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A time jump of 5 days between this chapter and the last.

The hardest part of finding out his mom was still alive was the fact that they were sending Terrors between each other for years. He could've had his mom with him for 3 years, he knows it's illogical but he still blames himself for not knowing. 

"Your brooding, Hiccup. It doesn't suit you" 

It's been a few days since they found out, both exchanging stories and breaking the ice between them. 

"I just can't help but think how things would've been different with you there on Berk" He stands and begins to pace, back and forth. "But I understand why you stayed away, they aren't the most pleasant people, are they?"

Valka gives a low chuckle at that. "No, they aren't. Stubborn as stones and as tasteless as water."

He doesn't stop pacing.

"Hiccup, stop pacing before you dig a ditch in the floor" She grabs his arm stopping him, and gives him a concerned stare. "What's wrong? Truly?"

He takes a breath and hugs Valka. "You were right here this entire time, I mean we were sending letters between each other for 2 whole years, and we didn't even know." Hiccup continues to ramble for a minute before she stops him.

"I know. I still find it hard to believe and even harder to live with myself knowing that, but I'm happy to have you here now." Cloudjumper makes his way into the cave and gives a low grunt. "Ah, It's feeding time" She gives him a grin lightening his mood slightly.

He gives a half-smile. "Alright, lemme go get Toothless." She nods, patting him on the shoulder as he walks past.

Hiccup walks out of the cave and into the central nest, seeing all of the Bewilderbeast dive beneath the walls of the nest and into the ocean beyond. The size of the king still surprises him sometimes, he's far larger than the Red Death and yet much more peaceful. The entire nest seems like a utopia for dragons, so many in one place living in harmony. Before he arrived here he thought that all of the Alpha species were like the cannibal queen.

Toothless is hanging upside down like a bat in a dark part of the cave, finding refuge from the hatchlings and other dragons giving him so much attention.

"Bud, it's time to eat." The dragon doesn't move. "Quit being such a baby. Let's go! I'm Hungry!"

Toothless opens his eyes and mocks him before closing his eyes again.

"Get down here before I lead the hatchlings to you!" He threatens, slightly amused by the childish dragon.

The night fury grumbles annoyed, dropping to the ground. Hiccup clips himself into the harness. They leave the nest in pursuit of the rest of the flock, far in the distance at this point. "Great now we need to catch up. Thanks, you over-grown lizard"

Toothless rolls his eyes at the insult. They fly right above the water, the night fury's trademarked whistle filling the air making up the distance within a few minutes, doing some aerial gymnastics along the way. Toothless levels next to Cloudjumper, the two flying side by side.

"Sorry for being late, he didn't want to get out of bed" Toothless looks over his shoulder at Hiccup, unamused by the comment, stoking a laugh from Valka.

The king surfaces out of the water, catching the fish herded by the seashockers and spitting them into the sky for the dragons hovering above. This had become a routine for Hiccup and Toothless over the few days they were at the nest, it was good to have a meal guaranteed every day. During the time that they were alone, they traveled quite a bit into unfamiliar territory, where a consistent source of food wasn't common. If they had stayed in the archipelago it wouldn't have been a problem but the risk of Vikings and the dragon trappers they hired was far greater, and that along with the bad memories of a distant father and cruel villagers was enough to get him to stay away.

Who would've guessed that the 'Demon Rider' was most afraid of memories? He hadn't told his mom most of the stories from his time on Berk, he wasn't entirely sure she wouldn't go burn the village to the ground after hearing them.

* * *

_"Hey, Useless!" Snotlout called "How about we play a game?"_

_"Yeah! Let's play!" The twins echoed next to him_

_"How about...Catch The Runt!"_

_"Guys, please don-" Hiccup begged them to stop but to no avail._

_Snotlout cut him off with a push. "I'm feeling generous today. You get a head-start!" He said with a false smile._

_Hiccup took off running after getting back to his feet. This 'game' usually ended with bruises. He made his way into the forest, sprinting as fast as he could while making sure to_

_avoid the cove where Toothless was, not wanting to expose his best friend. It was hard to not go directly to the dragon to allow his pursuers to be burnt. Hiccup stopped and took shelter behind a boulder a ways into the forest, at first he thought they ran by when he heard footsteps run past but those hopes were dashed with a few words._

_"Wow, you can't even hide right!"Snotlout taunted before throwing the first punch._

_Hiccup didn't return to the village that night, choosing to go to the cove where he knew some support was waiting._

_When he arrived at the small outcropping, limping slightly, with a few bruises, and a split lip, he had to convince Toothless to not go cook his bullies. They both sat near the lake, Toothless' drawing still decorating the ground next to them, Hiccup began to sob softly._

_He turned his head to look at the night fury. "It's you and me bud, always" He hugged the dragon tightly after that. Toothless hugged him back with his paws._

* * *

It still shocked Hiccup how quickly their actions toward him changed after his tricks in the kill ring. He went from shunned to village celebrity in a day. Hiccup still didn't understand people, all their quirks, dragons were far easier.

So he stayed away from people and built a new life among the beautiful creatures and he didn't regret it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who are confused, the flashback takes place before Hiccup began to become popular with the dragon training tricks.


	5. As I Crossed the Hill (Valka)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Valka and Hiccup spy on Drago.  
> We see how the Hobblegrunt got blinded  
> Valka worries

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to rewrite this chapter a few times due to my computer shitting itself, so it may not be the best.
> 
> I may not be able to update as regularly in the next few weeks, as I will be making school more of a priority.

The two dragon riders were watching Drago's camp. They had been for hours, trying to learn as much as they could about their enemy. Drago himself rarely left the capital ship at the center of the camp, so he was left inaccessible to the Hiccup and Valka. The rest of the camp was generally uninteresting, with canvas tents lining the edge of the bay where the ships were anchored. But what perplexed them the most was what the trappers were crafting, not dragon traps, instead building _siege weapons._

Valka didn't know whether or not to be relieved. On the one hand, she had no clue as to what they were planning which worried her, but on the other, no more dragons would be blinded or crippled by Drago's traps. The Raincutter could no longer fly with her sliced wing, the Snafflefang couldn't walk properly, and countless others had afflictions caused by the snares, razor netting, and iron traps. But worst of all the poor adolescent Hobblegrunt was blinded and scarred by a tree snare and left to wither and die.

* * *

_Muffled cries of pain echoed through the woods, calling for help. Cloudjumper picked up on them miles away, but Valka could only begin to make them out as they landed. When she followed the cries to their source she found a dragon, a Hobblegrunt, with its face completely wrapped with a blue-green metallic razor wire. The sight was horrific, with the Hobblegrunt struggling and shifting colors rapidly to convey distress and pain, bleeding from beneath the chain. She asked Cloudjumper to melt the wire but the metal was completely resistant to his fire, so Valka had to disentangle the snare by hand._

_As she began to unwrap the wire, she heard sickening sucking and popping sounds from the barbs on the chain coming loose from the dragon's skin. The Hobblegrunt moaned pitifully as she carefully pulled the chain off and attempted to keep her composure, failing once she reached the eyes. The barbs on the chain were dug in there too. The poor dragon couldn't even fly, having spent too many days without food or water along with being blinded, so he had to be carried back by Cloudjumper. Valka kept the chain, needing to study it for any symbols or marks that might identify which clan may have done the terrible deed. It had one. Drago Bludvist's._

_She vowed that day to be the end of him._

* * *

Valka nearly broke down just thinking about the brutality of the Hobblegrunts injuries.

"Hey mom, we should get going." Hiccup suggested, rescuing her from her thoughts.

"Aye, you're probably right. We won't find much else."

They quickly moved towards the mouth of the cave they entered by, stopping when they reached a ledge too high to climb on without the help of each other. Valka approached the ledge and interlocked her fingers, creating a step to boost Hiccup over the top. Once he reached the top he pulled her up and they continued on their way, finding their dragons just inside the entrance. Toothless was napping while Cloudjumper was watching for any stary trappers that may reveal their location. Hiccup approached the night fury mumbling about how 'of course Toothless is the one asleep', he pushed the dragons head waking him. Toothless grumbled, unhappy at being woken.

They took off, heading north, towards the nest, flying in content silence.

Valka was watching Hiccup as he removed his helmet and placed it in the saddlebag to his left. She could tell he was hiding something. She knew since he first spoke of his time on Berk. While speaking about his life there his eyes were filled with immense sadness. She could've guessed he wasn't the most popular on the island, not looking like the perfect Viking, much less the heir to the tribe. But it was something more, something deeper than that. Whenever she surprised him by placing a hand on his shoulder he flinched, sometimes a little, sometimes a lot, but always enough to be noticeable. She supposed he would tell her when he felt the time was right. She still worried about what might've caused though did Stoick hit him? If that was the case she misjudged him severely and she would probably raze the island. Whatever the case was it was enough to make Hiccup leave.

And if Valka was completely honest with herself, she was happy that he did and that he took after her. She could say it over and over again but it didn't matter to her she was proud of him. She was happy he found his way to her and that she could know him. It saddened her that she only found out because he nearly died, but he didn't. She would make sure he didn't get hurt like that again if it was the last thing she did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying to make this story as original as I can, while still keeping it comprehendible, so I changed Drago's plan of attack.  
> That's all I can say without spoiling the story.  
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!  
> Thanks for reading!


	6. And the Town Lit Up (Hiccup)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some flying, Some camping  
> Stories from Berk.  
> Valka gets angry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has some emotion.

The northern lights flickered above them, almost in a dance, with the colors constantly moving above the night fury as they soared past, weaving between and through darkened clouds. Hiccup reached a hand out towards the lights, even with how many times he's seen them they still mesmerize him every time. He didn't usually have company with him other than Toothless, but his mom insisted on coming with him on the excursion, trailing behind him on Cloudjumper. He had to admit it felt good to have someone to share the experience with. Especially mom. Stoick would've killed Toothless on sight. He huffed to himself, as he didn't even refer to him as dad anymore. It felt good having his mom with him, but not hiding parts of the story from her. He should tell her what the Berkians did, but how? How do you tell someone, especially a parent, that you were bullied viciously and the other parent did nothing?

He signaled to Valka to land on the nearby island. If he remembered right, this island had fresh water and firewood. Perfect for a camping trip. Maybe it was him being too stuck to habit, but staying in one place too long made him nervous. He never stayed in one place more than necessary, the longest was two weeks, while he was making his armor in a forge he found work in. The armor proved useful against the Dragon Hunters though, so he wasn't complaining. Toothless set down on the beach, in a spot they had used before. He reckoned there was still the firewood he'd stashed nearby. He turned to mom removing his helmet.

"Mom, would it be alright if we stayed here for the night? This is one of my usual spots."

Valka took off her slightly unnerving mask and shrugged. "I don't see why not."

He hugged her and began to walk off. "I left some firewood in a cave nearby, I'll be right back."

She nodded and began to unpack the bedding off Toothless' saddle. He lit Inferno, using it as a makeshift torch as he made his way toward an alcove. The logs he'd used to shield the wood from the rain were still there, leaning against the cliff face shielding a small nook in the sea wall. There were still a few logs left, but he'd need to restock later. He stacked the wood in his hands making it easier to carry and made his way back. He was still contemplating how to tell Valka the rest of his story, he knew he was going to, but that was all. He couldn't just walk up and say 'Hey mom, I was bullied for most of my life and dad didn't give a shit'. It was difficult to phrase something like that. When he came back Valka had found a stick and was throwing it for Toothless, while Cloudjumper looked on acting like he was better than that. It amused him how much Toothless acted more like a pet than a supposed blood-thirsty beast. You couldn't get him to admit it though.

"Hey mom, can I, uh, talk to you? It's about Berk." She almost looked surprised or even a little relieved that he decided to talk about it.

"Of course, what is it, Hiccup?" She asked lowering herself, sitting next to where Toothless was playing with his stick.

He sat next to her, taking a deep breath. "I think you've noticed me flinching sometimes, right?" She nodded and he continued "Well that's because of Berk. The other kids there weren't the nicest, some beat me, some did nothing to me and nothing to stop it. Neither did Stoick." He took another breath, angry tears brimming in his eyes. He looked to Valka and saw her eyes were filled with anger, though not at him. "Once I went to him, I was fresh off getting beat up, and I asked him to stop it, and D'ya know what he said to me?" She shook her head and he looked back at the ground "That I was weak. That I had to learn to fight my own battles, to be a true Viking." He mimicked Stoick saying the last part and gave a watery laugh, not looking up from the sand. Valka grabbed his hand and held on tight, still not saying a word. "Sometimes I wonder if they even care I disappeared. I like to think they do, but I doubt it." He mimicked a villager. "Oh No, what will we do without the village nuisance?!" He attempted to joke.

She hugged him fiercely. "Anyone who wouldn't miss you is a fool." She let go of him and gently took his face in her hands, looking at him in the eyes. Her eyes looked angry, sad, hurt, and even betrayed. "And so was I. I trusted Stoick to raise and to give you love when I couldn't be there, but now I see I shouldn't have." A tear began to roll down her cheek. "I should've taken you with me. You are the greatest thing I've ever done and those on Berk may not agree with me, but honestly _fuck them"_ She embraced him again, kissing his forehead, and holding him tight. "Can you ever forgive me for leaving you with _them?"_ She looked at him, eyes pleading.

He smiled into her shoulder. "I already have, mom"


	7. The World got Still (Valka)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiccup and Valka visit the Northern market on their trip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to rewrite this once or twice because it wasn't the greatest. I don't think it's the greatest thing I've written.  
> I hope you enjoy!

Hiccup told her of the Northern market, while she had never been there herself, he described it as a semi-respectable area, if you kept your head on a swivel to avoid getting robbed in an alleyway. The island the market was on was quite large and mostly untamed, with large pine forests covering most of the landscape. The market itself was near the western coast of the island, a small ways away from a beach. The two of them dismounted their dragons around a mile away, as to not get spotted they also removed their armor. 

The hike there was uneventful, Valka asking questions about the market itself. The trail was mostly dirt and uneven, but it suddenly cut off becoming a paved path not far from the trading stalls. Valka hadn't been near this many people in a long time. It caused her quite a bit of stress being in a large crowd.

"Hey mom, are you okay?" She must've shown it on her face.

"M'fine dear" She responded, "I just haven't been around a crowd this big since I left Berk." 

Hiccup grabbed her hand. "We don't need to stay if you don't want to."

"It's okay."

He nodded, but she didn't get the impression he believed her. They continued walking through the main path, stopping occasionally stopping to look at some of the items up for trade. Valka knew they were being followed. Two men staring at them, following them, and stopping when they stopped. They weren't very good at it. "We're being followed, Hiccup"

"Yeah, I picked up on that too. I suppose they're waiting for us to leave or turn off away from the people."

They kept walking, Hiccup buying a few new charcoal pencils from a trader near the edge of town, before leaving the market heading off in the direction of their dragons. Their two pursuers weren't very patient and attacked them as soon as they left the paved path. The first tried to punch Hiccup, failing miserably and getting thrown over his shoulder, landing in an undignified heap on the ground. Valka quickly attacked the other, sweeping his legs out from under him. The quick fight attracted attention however and Hiccup and Valka fled down the path soon after.

* * *

Unbeknownst to them, however, a certain trader recognized Hiccup. He giggled to himself, Oh what a profit he'd make from reporting this to the proper Viking chief.

* * *

The dragons were waiting where they left them, Toothless, wanting to play, was bounding around an unamused Cloudjumper. The stormcutter looked extremely relieved that the riders were back, he approached Valka while grumbling, exhausted of the playful night fury. Hiccup picked up a stick and got the attention of Toothless by throwing it off into the woods. The dragon bolted after it. She laughed at the dragon's antics. 

Hiccup turned to look at her. "We should head back to the nest tonight."

Valka nodded in agreement. They had been away for 3 days now, island hopping during the day and camping at night. Valka had more conversations with other humans in those three days than in eighteen years at the nest, it was exhausting. A vacation can only last so long, she supposed. Toothless came back covered in dirt, shaking his tail excitedly, dropping the stick at Hiccup's feet. 

"Bud, we have to go." Toothless looked at him, saddened considerably by this news. "I'll pack the stick, bud" The dragon perked up considerably. Valka put her armor swiftly, the action practically muscle memory. They took off heading home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is short and mostly used to set up future events.  
> Thanks for reading!


	8. Coming Down (Mixed)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Berk receives news.  
> Hiccup and Valka prepare.  
> 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bringing Berk fully into the story with this chapter. No more simple cameos for them!  
> I made an original position in the Berk hierarchy for the story, the War-chief. Basically the general of Berk's army.

<Astrid's POV>

The Great council on Berk was called after Trader Johann arrived, spouting how he brought some 'great revelation that would shake the foundation of their world'. He was an infuriating man, but he usually followed through with his promises, after being paid of course. All the leaders of the village, along with the chieftain in training, Snotlout, and the next War-Chief, Astrid, were gathered in the great hall waiting for the meeting to begin.

Stoick walked in followed by the trader. The Chief sat in the middle of the great table, overlooking the rest of the village, while Johann stood in the middle.

The silence was broken by Stoick. "Speak, Johann."

"Of course, Master Stoick. I was in the Northern Market making trades with all of the nice fellows around, I sold many things that day, at good prices as always, I sold a proper short-sword to one fellow, while I sold a notebook to another-"He was cut off by Spitelout before he could continue to ramble.

"Cut to the chase, Johann!"

"Fine, fine. Anyways my attention was grabbed by some commotion outside my stall, two men were attempting to rob a man and a woman just outside of the market, the man and woman were able to stop them, with what looked like years of combat training, throwing them both to the ground with brutal efficiency, but that is not the point my friends. You see when the man and woman turned to gaze at us, I didn't recognize her, but I recognized him." He paused, prompting Stoick to yell.

"Finish the story! Odin help me, stop pausing!"

"The man was your lost heir and son, Hiccup."

This caused a massive uproar among the Vikings, Astrid however just sat there, contemplating the enormity of this revelation. For once the overzealous trader wasn't exaggerating, this truly did shake the foundation of their world. If it was true Hiccup was alive, this meant that for the last three years that they mourned him were for nothing. He was alive and didn't come back. Even crazier than that to some of the Vikings, Hiccup was skilled in combat. 

Stoick walked up to Johann and lifted him by his collar. "You lie! My son is gone!"

"Why would I lie about this?" The trader gasped out.

Stoick dropped him and stormed off, leaving the village in shock at the news that the lost heir was alive.

* * *

<Hiccup's POV>

Drago's army was on the moving. Not toward the nest, but southwest toward the archipelago. Then his plan made sense, he wasn't going for _this_ nest, he was going for the Red Death. But to make it there he'd have to cut through the inhabited islands first. With this information, Hiccup raced back home. Gods, when did it become _home_ to him? He hadn't referred to anywhere as home since he struck out on his own. If he was being honest with himself he was happy to finally have somewhere to call home, especially with his mom there. The beauty of the nest also helped with its appeal, when the sun was setting nearby you could see the nest almost glow a bright blue. Or when the northern lights appeared, nearly every night with how far north they were, the filtered light made brilliant and vibrant displays of color against the ground. The residents weren't half bad either.

He entered through the cave he and his mom slept in normally and walked directly to Valka. She was sitting in the nursery with the baby Scuttleclaws on the ground, keeping an eye on them while their mothers were gone. He approached slowly as to not wake them, knowing how hard it was to get them to calm down. He slowly sat down next to her.

"I figured it out." She shifted to look at him, a confused look in her eyes. "Drago's plan. He's moving towards the archipelago." Her eyes grew wide at the implication of his words.

"He's going for the Queen," she said quietly, realizing the danger. "We have to stop him."

"We'll need to go back there, mom, I'm not sure I'm ready for that." He said looking at the ground.

"You're ready, son." She said, embracing him

"Maybe with you there." He could feel her smile into his shoulder

She kissed his forehead. "I'll be right beside you, Hiccup, always." 

He smiled too. "I know."

* * *

<Astrid's POV>

She pulled the ax from the tree and went back to throw again. It's how she dealt with stress and sadness and, well, everything. She was stressed because the village was turning to her. After all, Stoick wouldn't leave his house. She was sad because Hiccup was alive. Sure, she was relieved that he wasn't dead, but he was alive and not on Berk. He didn't want to be with them. The last time she saw him he was walking into the forest, she tried to follow, but he evaded her.

He disappeared without a note or anything and everyone thought he was dead, but instead, he was off traveling the world or something. They probably wouldn't have ever found out he was alive if it wasn't for Johann. She knew he probably had his reasons for leaving, but it didn't make it hurt her heart any less. He was annoying at times and clumsy, sure, but he was still part of the tribe. She wondered how he'd changed in three years if he was taller or bigger, or maybe he hadn't changed. No, that wasn't possible, according to Johann he was able to flip full-grown man over his shoulder, so he had to have grown. 

Astrid threw the ax again, but this time it missed the tree. She huffed, all of this thinking was affecting her accuracy, but she couldn't help but think. No matter how many times she tried to push it from her mind she still wondered why. Why did he leave? She knew he wasn't anyone's favorite person, but it couldn't have been that bad.

Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've figured out the basic structure of part 1 of the series, that'll make it a lot easier to write.  
> Thanks for reading!


	9. Is the Hardest Thing (Valka)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiccup and Valka try to convince the king to help with their Drago problem.  
> Exposition ensues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter again, once again using it to set up future events.  
> Some new concepts in this chapter.  
> I hope they make sense and I hope you enjoy!

Hiccup and Valka approached the edge of the cliff above the great lake in the nest. Sensing her presence the king lifted himself from the water and looked her in the eyes. Valka knelt for a moment before standing back up and speaking.

"My king, a great war is about to occur. The man who we have been fighting is finally making his move." The king grew concerned, Valka could feel it. "He's not attacking here, but my old home. He plans to raze every island in the Archipelago. The true target, however, is the nest. Somehow he plans to kill the queen and take the flock for himself." The king closed his eyes. "I know it isn't our way to get involved with others, but this is the difference between life and death for many dragons and humans alike."

The king opened his ice blue eyes once again and made eye contact with Hiccup and Valka and projected an image of an island. It was almost only one mountain rather than an island, suddenly Hiccup gasped.

"Mom, that's Berserker island." She looked at him with wide eyes. 

"What do you mean, my king?" She asked. 

The king began to project images of family and spoke, **"BROTHER".** He pulled them into a vision.

* * *

_Two eggs lay at the center of the cave, sitting atop a mound. The cave's walls were covered in ice spires stretching up to the roof. The eggs began to hatch and a hatchling Bewilderbeast, each colored blue, and white emerged from each of them._

_The two dragons were small for what they would grow into. Both of them enjoying their time together, running and playing in the cave rolling over each other, but eventually, as they got bigger, the cave became smaller, too small for the two growing giants._ _One of them left the cave, after saying goodbye to his brother. The one who left slowly swam through the vast oceans, trying to find a new home for himself and as he went smaller dragons began to follow him, listen to him, and keep him company._

_He crossed vast distances over many years, gathering hundreds of dragons, before finally finding a place to call his own, far to the north. He used his ice to construct a home for himself and those that followed him, settling in the spot they stood now._

* * *

Hiccup and Valka fell to their knees, coughing, after the vision. The king had a brother. And he rested beneath Berserker Island.

The king spoke again while projecting images of his brother resting beneath the island. **"HELP BROTHER."**

The king had agreed to help them fight Drago. For his brother. The king lowered himself back into the lake. Hiccup and Valka looked at each other and smiled. They had an edge against Drago. They had a chance, to not only stop Drago but to free the dragons of the archipelago, stopping the raids and maybe stopping the Dragon War. It was a hope she had let die long ago, believing that people were incapable of change, she still believed it, but the dragons being freed would hopefully stopping them from continuing to raid.

Hiccup turned to face her. "I know Dagur, mom. He's the chief of the Berserkers and a friend. He'll help."

"Well, that makes things easier, now doesn't it?" Valka joked.

"Yeah, it does. Imagine if he was below Berk." He laughed "I think Stoick would try to fight it."

Valka chuckled.

Toothless ran towards them, looking excited. He smacked his tail against Hiccup's leg while licking his lips. "Well, someone wants to go flying." Hiccup mounted Toothless. "I'm going to spend all of his energy."

"I think you might be gone for a few days then, Hiccup" The two of them laughed.

Hiccup waved and put his helmet on. The night fury took off at breakneck speed, eager to spend time with his best friend. Valka walked up the path towards the cave. She began an attempt to cook a meal for when Hiccup returned, failing miserably on her first attempt. The fish was burnt to a crisp on the fire.

She gave a resigned sigh, cooking was never her strong suit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? Does it make sense?  
> I had the idea and it wouldn't leave my head.  
> Anyway, thanks for reading!


	10. Well the Good Old Days (Astrid)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Checking on Berk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first time writing a battle, hope you enjoy!

The village was in a panic.

An armada far larger than any of them had ever seen was on the horizon. As they got closer boulders crushed houses and smashed the watchtowers that stood for three hundred years. People were fleeing towards the great hall, where Stoick was preparing for the enemy to land. Their warriors were standing just outside of the doors of the building, ushering people into the shelter. Astrid was tasked with finding survivors and helping them. She didn't find many. The enemy landed on the port, only two ships docking. Nearly three hundred poured onto the dock, waving their weapons in the air, bellowing out war cries, and rushing up the hill into the town. Capturing those good enough to walk and killing the rest. They lit rubble on fire, intent at causing as much chaos as possible. Astrid looked on in horror and retreated to gather the warriors to make a counter-attack.

She ran into the hall. "Chief! They've landed!"

He looked over to her. "Alright! This is our home, my friends! We won't lose it!" He pulled out his ax and raised it, inciting cheers from the gathered warriors. They were around two hundred strong. They all rushed into the smoke hazed town, blindsiding the invaders. Astrid was one of the first into battle, gutting a man. The melee that ensued was bloody and brutal. Vikings and invaders falling left and right. The battle lasted until the sun began to set, the fires around them being the only source of light.

The enemy was poorly trained and green, while the Vikings were battle-hardened and bloodthirsty. It was an edge that allowed them to force a retreat, the invaders rushing back their ships, getting picked off by arrows as they went. The Vikings cheered, believing it to be a victory, even if it was temporary.

A group of armored dragons was let loose from the ship. They brought their fire down upon the defenders, their arrows ricocheting off the thick steel plates that covered them. The Vikings quickly began retreating to the great hall, they were prepared to fight humans, not dragons, much less armored dragons. They had to regroup. A Monstrous Nightmare landed, cutting off their route. The other dragons landed around them encircling them and humans soon joined them. 

'This is it' Astrid thought, getting into a defensive stance, preparing for the onslaught the Berkians were about to face. 

One invader stepped in front of the rest. He had a tattoed face and looked quite slimy. He spoke up. "You lot have a choice. Surrender now and pledge yourself to Drago Bludvist," Astrid looked to the Chief, his eyes widened at the name. "Or you can die."

Stoick spoke up first. "If you think we're going to bow before that madman, you're a fool. We choose the second." He spat on the ground. The Vikings around him cheered.

The leader just chuckled. "Suit yourself, Oh great chieftain." He said, sarcastically. The leader whistled, prompting those around him to begin advancing.

They all stopped. A high pitched scream entered the air. The scream of a _night fury._

The leader looked to the sky, enraged. "No, no, no! Not again!"

Astrid looked at him. She wondered what he meant by again before a blast of purple flame decimated his forces, knocking the breath out of the Vikings. The leader got up and yelled. "Get down here and fight, you coward!"

There was silence other than crackling embers for a second. The leader was suddenly kicked back by a figure, the two of them tumbling a few feet. The figure got up first, Astrid couldn't quite make it out, her vision swimming from the explosion. A burst of light erupted in the figure's hand before it spoke.

"Couldn't hack it as a dragon trapper, eh? I have to say this is a step-down." The figure was a person! 

The leader rushed to attack the man, swinging his sword at his head. His movements were clumsy, still disorientated. The man ducked under the swing and quickly grabbed the leader's arm and twisted it behind his back. Some of the other invaders got up and began to advance on the man, intent on saving their commander, before being knocked down again by a black blur. The blur was a dragon, it was a _night fury_. The man was a dragon rider! 

The dragon rider used his left hand to knock the leader out. He turned to the Vikings. "Berkians!" He yelled getting the attention of the Vikings while mounting the night fury. The Vikings turned to him looking at him with wide eyes. "This battle isn't over. You saw that armada out there! Your only hope is a full retreat, Your boats are still intact on the dock, I'll cover you. Go to Berserker island!"

Stoick sneered. "Why should we trust you? You ride a demon!"

Astrid put a hand on his shoulder. "We don't have another choice chief, we only have a few warriors left and some of that, are the twins and Snotlout! We won't be able to hold them off."

Stoick looked at her. He sighed before nodding. "Alright. Go to the boats! We're going to Berserker island!" He yelled. There was a chorus of 'Aye, Chief' among the remaining Vikings.

The Berkians quickly moved down the hill towards the docks. They were trusting a dragon rider.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that was fun to write. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!


	11. May Not Return (Valka)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The flock arrives at Berserker Island.  
> It takes place at the same time as the last chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short chapter again, pushing the plot some more before we get to the beefier parts.  
> I had to rewrite a few times, not too proud of this one, I just couldn't get it right.

The king was swimming just below the water's surface, leaving a wake behind him. He was moving faster than Valka had ever seen him move, anxious to see his brother after so many years. Hiccup decided to keep tabs on Drago's armada, splitting off not long ago. Valka wanted to go with him, but he insisted that someone needed to be there to talk to the Berserkers. His logic revolved around the stealth of Toothless. She was worried about him. Perhaps being a tad overprotective of him, but what was she supposed to do? She hadn't known him for so many years and the first thing she sees him do is get critically injured. He was reckless at times, she couldn't help but worry.

Valka could see the island on the horizon. The peak of the mountain piercing the sky, sea stacks surrounding it. It was a defensible territory just with the natural terrain. When they reached the shores she could see the people gathered on the beach, looking at the massive flock of dragons flying above them. Valka quickly brought Cloudjumper to a landing, dismounting in front of them.

"I'm looking for your chief." She told them. The people parted revealing a man with a patchy beard. He walked out from amongst the crowd.

"That's me. By the way, I love your look!" He said with a crazed grin. She could see why they called him deranged.

The king rose from the water, causing some of the villagers to gasp in terror. "We're looking for the king's brother. Hiccup told me to speak to you."

"You know Hiccup?! To be honest, I don't know why I'm shocked, it seems he knows everyone." He gestured her to follow. "The 'king's' brother is beneath the island, he's been more active ever since Krogan was stopped." She didn't know who Krogan was.

Dagur brought her to a cave and led her inside. The cave was exactly how it looked in the vision, ice spires rising to the roof and the mound on which sat a single egg. She approached the cliff.

"Your brother is here." She called down. The cave began to shake as the great dragon pulled itself up the cliff. Valka gestured for Dagur to leave, she soon followed as the Bewilderbeast rose from the canyon, bursting from the mountain with an earth-shaking roar. The brother slowly made his way down the mountain being careful to avoid the houses of the village. The dragon flock circling the king bowed. The king approached his brother. Valka could tell the two were projecting between each other, greeting one another after centuries apart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	12. And the Rocks might melt (Hiccup)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiccup reveals himself to the Berkians.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Emotion in this chapter.

Needless to say, Hiccup was nervous. He was in the presence of the Berkians for the first time in 3 years. He was riding a dragon, the mortal enemy of the Berkians. This was going to go well.

The trip to Berserker Island was eventful, to say the least, the boats being harrassed by Drago's forces along the way, he had to step in more than a few times, sinking the boats before they became a problem. It took longer than it should have. He sighed to himself, his mom was going to be worried. When the Berkians were close enough to the island he moved ahead to explain the situation to Valka. The second he landed Valka rushed towards him embracing him.

She spoke first. "I was so worried, Hiccup. When you didn't return after the first day, I thought something terrible had happened."

"M'sorry mom. I had to break an invasion force that was attacking Berk." She looked at him with wide eyes. "It didn't go well for the Berkians. I had to escort them here."

"You mean that they're on their way now?" When he nodded she looked even more scared than he was.

"They are a few miles off the coast. They'll be here in an hour or two." He paused, looking at the ground. "I'm scared, mom."

"Me too. We have to plan for their arrival."

"We need to tell them. About me at least." He told her.

"I'll be right next to you." She told him sincerely.

He changed the subject. "So how was the reunion? Better than ours will be I hope."

Valka chuckled. "The two of them are inseparable. They've been spending every hour together."

The king and his brother were resting just off the coast, luckily on the other side of the island. That would have given the Berkians quite the shock, he could imagine Stoick's face at the sight of the two giants. He chuckled internally at the image. He quickly got to work prepping the village for more inhabitants and helping prepare defenses for the coming attack.

The two hours went by in a blur as the next thing he knew the Berkians were being welcomed ashore by Dagur. He was hiding from them for now, he wasn't sure if he was ready. The arriving Vikings were barred from the other side of the island temporarily so that's where he went. He knew he couldn't avoid them forever, but he could for a few hours at least. He was thinking of what to say to them or if he should say anything at all. He could just take off the helmet and flee. 

He sat down on a ledge overlooking the village. He could see the Vikings, huddled around a large bonfire on the edge of town. Toothless came up behind him, making worried noises. He smiled at the dragon.

"Hey, bud." Toothless sat down next to him, wrapping his tail around Hiccup in a comforting gesture. He stroked the dragons head. "I don't know if I can do it, bud"

His mom answered for him, walking up from behind him. "You can. They might take it poorly, but would it truly affect you? I mean, you left them long ago Hiccup." 

"I care what some of them might say." He thought mostly of Gobber and Astrid, the former being the only person who was truly supportive of him and the latter a childhood crush he kept. "Gobber was the only one who was ever supportive."

"That doesn't surprise me one bit. He was always a good man." She held out a hand. He grabbed it getting pulled to his feet. "what do you say we make an entrance?" She grinned at him. He returned it, half-heartedly. 

They landed their dragons on the roofs nearby the fire, startling some of the Vikings making them jump from their seats. Toothless leaped off the roof, Cloudjumper following shortly after. He dismounted and stood a few feet away, the Vikings staring at him, some with fear in their eyes some with disgust. Toothless stood next to him defensively, growling slightly at the group in front of them. He placed a hand on the dragon calming him. When he hesitated, Valka placed her hand on his shoulder, nodding slightly.

He began to speak. "Some of you may be wondering why I helped you" The Vikings nodded in agreement. "The truth is, I don't know. I mean, it's not like any of you ever helped me." Some of the more intelligent Vikings eyes widened. "More often than not, you bullied me."

He took a breath and removed his helmet. Some of the Vikings jumped from their seats gasping, some others just looked at him with wide eyes. Astrid though, she looked at him and almost seemed _relieved._ Toothless roared, causing them to go silent. "I helped you and I don't know why. I don't know. To be honest, I just saw the burning village and decided to help you. Nostalgia maybe." He gave a humorless laugh t the thought.

"I'm surprised that some of you recognize me. You never cared before." Angry tears were going down his face. "You know, for the longest time after I left, I hated most of you. I mean, if you weren't the bullies you were just bystanders who did nothing, and that's just as bad. Do you know what's odd though? Dragons, the mindless demons you like to think they are, showed me more kindness than you people ever did." Astrid looked guilty at the last statement, so did Stoick and Gobber. Snotlout and the Twins looked at him with fear in their eyes. "I left and wasn't planning on coming back. You better thank the gods I was following Drago's armada." He wiped the tears from his eyes with his arm and walked away, not bothering to hear their replies. Some people tried to go after him, he heard Cloudjumper roar, warning them to keep away.

It felt good to get that off his chest. He mounted Toothless and took off, heading towards the peak of the mountain. He sat down in a field of mountain grass near the top. He cried for a while after that until his mom showed up. she didn't say anything and just sat next to him. She embraced him and let him cry into her shoulder. They sat together until the sun rose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you think of the reveal?  
> Thanks for reading!


	13. And the Sea may Burn (Astrid)

She watched Hiccup walk away, ignoring the responses from the Berkians. She felt terrible, it was that bad. She tried to follow him, but she was blocked by the four-winged dragon. The dragon roared in her face, prompting her to sit back down. The group was in silence for a few moments, the other dragonrider watching them intensely. She didn't quite know whether she was male or female with the mask and armor covering most of their body. Snotlout, the genius he was, huffed.

"Of course Useless sided with the dragons. He never coul-" He was cut off by the other dragonrider kicking him down, they put their knee on his neck. 

"Speak that way about him again and I'll have Cloudjumper gut you." The dragonrider threatened. It was a she. And she frankly was terrifying, the Vikings looked at her in shock as she released Snotlout. "He saved all of your lives, I wouldn't have. If I was with him, I would have tried to convince him not to. Show some gratitude." And with that, she was off, mounting the owl-like dragon and flew off.

The Chief just sat there, staring at the ground, unmoving. He was in shock, his actions pushed his son away. Astrid smacked Snotlout on the back of the head and glared at him. "You fucking idiot." She walked away after that, leaving Jorgenson on the ground and the rest of the Vikings in shock at her actions. She didn't care. She swung her ax at a tree in the forest, cutting through it in a few emotion-filled swings. Hiccup was being bullied to such a degree on Berk that he  _ hated _ them and she did nothing, only stood there and let it happen. He was right, being a bystander was just as bad and everyone on Berk was either a bystander or a perpetrator. Yet he still saved their lives. 

She moved onto another tree, swinging into it with less force than she had. She was crying. Angry with herself, and with the rest of the Berkians. She began to walk after she calmed down, nowhere in particular. She went up the mountain trail, slowly hiking up the rough terrain. She came to a field almost at the top of the mountain, and to a sight, that broke her heart. Hiccup was sitting there, crying into the shoulder of the woman. The Night Fury and the other dragon were lying next to them, curled around their riders. The woman got up as the sun rose, speaking to Hiccup.

"I'm going to go fetch breakfast, Hiccup." She embraced him again.

"I'll just stay here then." He responded. The other rider nodded and took off on her dragon. 

Hiccup moved towards the edge of the field, sitting at the edge of the cliff. He pulled a book from his bag and opened it. The dragon nudged him, whimpering slightly.

"Really?" Hiccup sounded exasperated. The dragon just stared at him expectantly. He sighed. "Fine, you do know my leg isn't a chew toy right?" The dragon shook its tail, excited. Hiccup threw his prosthetic off the cliff and the dragon followed, diving off the cliff. Astrid saw her chance to speak to him.

"Hiccup." He whipped around, a blade appearing in his hand, the blade ignited soon after. She put her hands up. He relaxed slightly, seeing it was her. "Can we talk?" She asked. When he nodded she released a breath she didn't know she was holding. She approached slowly and sat next to him, he looked into the distance. "I want to say that... I'm sorry." When he didn't respond, she continued. "I know it doesn't make it right, but I'm sorry for what you went through with us."

"Maybe it doesn't, but I didn't expect any apologies from you guys. Thanks."He gave a half-hearted smile. The Night Fury returned then, Hiccup's prosthetic in its mouth. When he saw her he dropped it and growled. "Woah, Toothless, it's okay bud." The night fury, Toothless apparently, relaxed. "Astrid meet Toothless, Toothless Astrid." He gestured between them. The Night Fury approached slowly, still cautious of her. Hiccup grabbed her hand. "Here, put your hand like this." He made her hand stick straight out opened palm. 

She was terrified, not that she'd admit it. "Hiccup, I don't know about this." As she was speaking Toothless placed his nose in her hand, purring like a cat.

She was in shock, a night fury was  _ purring.  _


	14. And Some Say Life (Hiccup)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiccup and Astrid continue to bond.  
> Hiccup rants again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonding Chapter! Trying to make the relationship make sense before it goes forward, that's what this chapter is.  
> Enjoy!

Hiccup looked on smiling. Astrid was giggling as Toothless began to run around her excitedly. "He doesn't seem like an 'unholy offspring of life and death'"

"That's what I said. He's just a big softie." Toothless hit him on the back of the head with his tail for the comment. "Not that he likes to admit it."

She laughed and he thought it was the most beautiful thing he's ever heard, he internally slapped himself, he shouldn't still be crushing over her. He thought he stopped years ago. He thought he grew out of it. He wished he grew out of it if he was being honest, it would make leaving after they beat Drago easier. He and Toothless were a pair and the Berkians wouldn't accept that. He could tell by the way the Vikings looked at him after he saved them that it wasn't possible, no matter how much he wanted it. But maybe he could convince just one. An idea began to form in his head. "Do you want to go flying?"

She looked at him like he grew a second head, in shock at the offer, before her face grew into an excited smile and she spoke again. "Yes!

He gave her a wide grin. Toothless stood next to him, shaking in excitement at the word 'flying'. "Well, you better hold on tight then." He slid his helmet on.

She looked at him confused. "Hold onto what?"

"Anything you can really." He told her. She nodded nervously, he got on Toothless and clipped himself in, then gesturing for Astrid to follow. Moving slowly she slowly sat behind him. "Ready?" He could feel her nod. They took off, diving off the mountain. She quickly wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed tightly. He was glad that he was wearing his helmet so she couldn't see him blush. They dove down towards the water, the night fury's scream cutting through the air leaving a wake in the water. She could hear her screaming in terror, Toothless probably should've started slower.

They quickly pulled up heading towards the clouds. He patted Toothless telling him to slow down. He heard Astrid speak behind him. "Wow...."

He smiled behind his mask. He was happy to show her the skies before he had to leave again. "You do this every day, Hiccup?"  
  


He nodded. "Pretty much, I like to keep moving. I don't stay in one place for more than a few days."

"Lucky."

Toothless looked over at Astrid, over his shoulder and gave her a gummy smile. She smiled back. "He's cute." He glared at her after that.

They landed on the beach and were quickly approached by the Berkians, Snotlout and the twins in particular. The twins looked at him with a slightly apologetic look, while Snotlout looked at him with pure contempt. "You're a traitor, Useless, siding with the enemy and now you're even _converting_ Astrid." He glared at Toothless, who growled at him and raised himself onto his hind legs, quickly making Snotlout back down in fear, he would've gone farther if Hiccup hadn't put a restraining hand on him.

"The _enemy?_ Are you kidding me? The only people who've acted like an enemy to me is you!" He yelled. "I tried so hard to fit in with all of you." He gestured to the young Vikings around him. "But I never could, sure I know I messed up, a lot, but I didn't deserve to be beaten." Snotlout looked at him in shock at his uncharacteristic outburst, while the others looked guiltily. "This is why I didn't come back. You Vikings are so hard-pressed in your ways, that you can't even see when you are wrong." He glared at the three in front of him before an idea popped into his head. "I want you to try to hurt me like you did back then." Snotlout looked at him, shock went to arrogance once again and he threw a punch at Hiccup's face, he dodged under it and grabbed Snotlout's arm by the wrist. Hiccup twisted it behind his back and pushed him to the ground. "I'm Useless, right? So what does that make you?"

He released Snotlout and spoke again. "I found where I belong, and it was never at Berk, not with you there." A crowd of Berkians had gathered to watch, Stoick included, they all looked at him with wide eyes. "If we live through Drago, you'll never have to worry about 'Hiccup the Useless' again." He was shocked when Astrid looked heart-broken at the statement. "You know, there was a part of me hoping that something changed while I was gone, that I could come back and not be harassed for being different, but it's clear now that's impossible. I'll never be one of you." He wasn't going to cry, not this time. This wasn't worth crying over. He and Toothless walked through the crowd before looking back again. "Stubborn as stones and as tasteless as water." He echoed Valka. He smirked at them.

He started walking again away from the village, but he turned around when he heard a few gasps of shock behind him. Astrid was following him. "I'm with you, Hiccup. I may not have given you support then, but I will now." She smiled reassuringly at him. He smiled back.

The two walked off together, not looking back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What'd you think? Leave any criticism or questions you may have in the comments. I'll happily answer!  
> Just don't be a dick.  
> Thanks for reading!


	15. Will Beat you Down (Valka)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Invasion preparations.  
> Valka meets Astrid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rewrote this one a few times, couldn't get it how I wanted it the first few times.  
> I hope you enjoy!

Drago's armada was only a few days away at this point. She went out to find it and she did, a fleet that stretched for almost a mile. It was going to be a hard fight, that they probably weren't going to win. They had to be ready for them because they were vastly outnumbered. The only advantages they had were the king and his brother, and time to prepare. Drago wasn't going to hold back like he did on Berk. Valka landed on the mountain where she and Hiccup had been staying, as to stay away from the Berkians. She probably would have to reveal herself eventually, but she didn't want too. Not until they proved themselves worthy at least.

She began the trek down the mountain. It would be easier to fly, but she would rather not attract too much attention from the village and be followed. She took a left at the fork in the path, heading towards the Bewilderbeasts and the flock. A large portion had been given to the flock for the time being, far away from the Vikings to not provoke any conflict between them. The dragons were resting on the cliffs coloring the entire face in a brilliant mural of vibrant colors, and resting in the water below them, was the king along with his brother. She hated asking favors from him when he had already given so much to her, but if they were going to have a chance they needed to fortify and the only way to do that in time, was the king.

"My king." She began. He raised his head to greet her, she bowed slightly. "The trappers are only days away. We need to fortify the island, and the only way we can do that is with your help."

The king raised himself completely and dove into the water, circling the island, moving towards the village. She released a breath she didn't know she was holding, that was far easier than she would've thought. Now she only had to get there in time to warn the Vikings or they were going to get the scare of a lifetime. 

She arrived in the village and approached the Berkians, who were outside the lodges given to them. "The king is coming to fortify the village." She announced.

Before they had time to respond the king raised himself from the water. A few Vikings screamed, others nearly fainted at the size of him. He reared up and began to blast the coast, making walls of ice. Stoick spoke. "What in Thor's name is that beast?!" His face was one of fear.

Valka bit her lip to keep from laughing. "The king." She answered simply before she turned and walked away, heading back to her camp.

When she arrived she came to a sight that surprised her. One of the Vikings from Berk was _playing_ with Toothless and Hiccup. She stood there for a few moments in shock before making her approach. "Hiccup." He turned around and smiled at her.

"Yeah? What's up?" She was still wearing her mask, so he couldn't see the look she was giving him.

"Who is this?" She asked slightly suspicious.

Before Hiccup could answer he was cut off by the girl. "I'm Astrid, and, uh, I know I'm one of the Vikings and you probably have every right not to trust me with our history with dragons," She spoke nervously. "But I'm willing to learn. Hiccup showed me another side to them, so if he can trust them, so can I."

Valka stood there for a few moments in silence, before she took off her helmet. "I'm happy to meet you then."

Astrid's face brightened and she smiled. Hiccup looked at her and whispered in her ear. "Do you think we should tell her who you are?"

Valka thought for a few moments. It would probably help build trust between herself and Astrid. "I suppose." She turned to Astrid. "You have to vow not to tell the Berkians what I'm about to tell you." Astrid nodded vigorously and spoke.

"I vow to keep this secret."

"My name is Valka. My full name is Valka Haddock. I'm Hiccup's mother." Astrid's jaw dropped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave any questions or criticism in the comments and I'll happily answer!  
> Thanks for reading!


	16. Break Your Heart. (Astrid)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiccup shows his scars.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter again.  
> Enjoy!

The entire prospect was a lot for her to get her head around. The other rider was Hiccup's mom. Astrid couldn't believe it, apparently, they were working together for years and never even saw each other's faces. She couldn't help but be slightly offended on Hiccup's behalf, Valka stayed away for eighteen years. Hiccup quickly shut her down when she brought it up though, saying that he had forgiven her for it.

Valka left after a few moments needing to go catch more food for dinner, she wasn't prepared for three people. 

She couldn't say she was disappointed, she wanted to talk with Hiccup about where he'd been for three years. 

"Hiccup, where have you been? I mean, you must've explored most of the world by now?"

He answered. "The oceans stretch far farther than I've flown."

"What have you been doing?"

"Oh, well lots of things."

She gave him a look. "That's not an answer."

He smirked at her. "I've been fighting the Hunters more often than not. Got lots of scars from that."

"Can I see them?" She blurted out, Hiccup turned a few shades red at the request. She couldn't help but blush as well, she didn't mean to ask that. She wasn't stupid enough to not have noticed the crush he had on her before he left Berk. She thought he was an annoying nuisance like the rest of the village until he left, then she began to see him differently. _'He did grow well'_ She quickly shook the thought out of her head.

He nodded slightly before he began to undo the straps of his armor. He took off his chest plate and the green tunic underneath. 

She gasped, his entire torso was covered completely in scars. Some looked to be from arrows, a burn mark on his side, and what looked like a scar from lightning.

"Gods Hiccup..." Her eyes began to become glassy. She reached out to trace the burn scar on his side, his muscles tensed at her touch. "What happened to you?."

"That one was the injury that my mom was talking about." He sighed. "An explosion went off, sent shrapnel everywhere, a rotten piece of wood hit me. I blacked out after. Woke up in a cave with my side burnt shut and my mom sitting next to me."

Her hand moved to one of the many arrow scars, stroking across his chest, he shivered under her touch and looked away, likely to hide another blush. "That one was from the Hunters. It was poisoned and caused a nasty infection." She continued to move between scars, gliding her across his surprisingly well-muscled chest, asking the stories for each one, the lightning was from a Skrill, it reached across his arm in a strange pattern, many arrows, some narrowly avoided his heart or blood vessels, even a slash across his chest from a trapper who tried to gut him, he was very lucky to not have died from any of them.

She finally reached the one on his lower jaw. She made eye contact with him. She brought her other hand up to his other cheek, pulled him closer, and _kissed him_. He was frozen for a few moments and she wondered if she had done the right thing before he reciprocated the kiss, putting his hand on the back of her neck, she didn't wonder after that. She pulled back and looked into his eyes again, she saw _love_ , and it made her heart skip a beat. She leaned again and kissed him again.

Astrid Hofferson kissed Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III and didn't regret it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not the best at writing romance, but hey I tried my best.  
> Leave any questions or criticism in the comments and I'll happily answer!  
> Thanks for reading!


	17. Steal your crown (Hiccup)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The siege begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The battle is gonna last a few chapters.  
> Enjoy!

The great horn was blown at around midnight, it signified the arrival of the trapper armada. The only thing that Hiccup could see was the blurred light from the boats' torches in the distance, reflecting off the water. He gave Toothless a pat on his neck and they dove off the cliff with Valka right behind him. Astrid had to go rejoin the Vikings and ground defenders. He passed over the defenders' lines with little clearance, they were lined up at the wall of ice the king made. The king and brother off the coast waiting for a signal of some kind that mom would make.

The plan was to funnel the invaders through the wall and put them in a bottleneck, it would make the battle far easier for the defenders, but when had things ever gone to plan with Hiccup? Never, so he was nervous. The battle could go either way, but the two Bewilderbeasts were their ace in the hole if the plan went terribly. Valka and Hiccup landed on one of the sea stacks, Valka was the other end of the bottleneck forcing the enemy forwards and cutting off their retreat. The rest of the flock would join her when she started strafing the trappers. Hiccup's job was to hit their siege weapons before they could do much damage. He dismounted Toothless and knelt near the edge of the sea stack, observing the trapper fleet as it passed, mom knelt next to him.

"Tonight it ends, one way or another." She said darkly.

"Well, I hope it ends well then." He tried to say with a light-hearted tone, the shaking in his voice prevented that. He was terrified if he was being honest. His mom noticed and she hugged him tightly.

"We'll be alright, son." She said with a determination he hadn't heard in her voice before.

He hugged her tighter. "I don't want to lose you again, mom."

"You won't I promise, but that goes both ways, Hiccup."

"I know."

The first landing boats from the trapper galleons began towards the island. It was time. He mounted Toothless again, he gave a cheeky salute to his mom and the two of them dove off the cliff, making a beeline for the warships, who began to launch flaming boulders at the island in hopes of shattering their defenses. Toothless pulled up and went for the clouds before ceasing his wing beats and falling back towards the ground.

"Time to show them what you got, bud!"

The familiar screech filled the air and they hit the first boat, completely engulfing it in the fireball. They quickly began repeating the attack using the night sky as cover from the arrows that were shot in their direction. Then Drago's dragons entered the fray. They had far superior vision than humans and quickly spotted the night fury and took off in pursuit. Hiccup began to weave between the sea stacks in an attempt to shake the group of dragons but to no avail. He banked hard and pulled up. The armored dragons pursued him relentlessly. This wasn't going to be easy he thought to himself as he was dodging one of the dragons that had made a swipe at him.

Toothless tilted his wings and caught enough air to slow enough that the armored dragons flew past. He quickly fired a plasma blast which exploded next to the dragons knocking them from the sky. He continued destroying siege weapons and boats until there were few left. The one in the center was the capital ship, _Drago's_ ship, and it was being dragged by two massive chains.

That didn't bode well for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	18. So I've Started out. (Valka)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Siege continues

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last stretch! The last few chapters are going to be the siege.  
> Enjoy!

The attackers rushed off their boats, rushing through the breach in the wall. Valka raised her staff and swung it through the air signaling for the flock to attack. The dragons swept over the invader, some spewing Dragonfire simply snatching trappers and dropping them in the water. She looked out to the armada, a blast of purple lit up the night, oddly it wasn't on the ships.

She pulled herself from her thoughts and quickly dove, Cloudjumper blasting trappers as they went. On the other side of the wall, it appeared that those who made it through the breach were unable to break the Viking ranks. The plan was working. Toothless surprised her by leveling next to her.

"Mom, we got a problem!" Hiccup called to her. "They got something big coming ashore, it was dragging the capital ship behind it!"

That wasn't good, whatever kind of dragon maybe a Shellfire or something else, it likely wasn't good news for the defenders. She could see the torchlight of Drago's ship getting closer to shore. The boat had a single torch on it, she could make out a single figure that stood above the others. It was Bludvist.

"We need the king and his brother in the fight! Join the flock Hiccup, I'll give the signal!" She told him, he nodded and banked away hard, going for a strafe.

She flew off the coast a ways before swinging her staff through the air, in circles above her head. She heard the answering roars and the splashes that followed. She made out the wakes of the Bewilderbeasts and began to follow them. The king rose from the water, giving a roar that could wake the dead, and spewing ice onto the trappers coming ashore. His brother leaped from the water and onto the landing craft still approaching. She could hear the cheers from the Berkians and Berserkers, they all ceased however when another roar pierced the sky. A third Bewilderbeast rose from the water, capsizing Drago's boat.

The Third roared a challenge to the brothers, showing no fear to the superior numbers. A clash of titans had begun. The two brothers quickly answered the challenge and the king charged at the challenger, while his brother blasted its side. The Challenger fought viciously and without mercy against the two of them, swinging its massive tail at the brother and locking tusks with the king. The king threw the challenger back and his brother tried to knock him over before being hit by the grey and red tail.

The battle of the alphas distracted Valka from the invasion and she was brought down by a net. Cloudjumper struggled against the net before hitting the ground throwing Valka from him. She rolled across the ground before raising herself to her feet, where she froze upon hearing a raspy, accented voice.

"I've been waiting a long time for this." She turned. It was Drago Bludvist. "You and your partner have been quite the thorn in my side." His scarred face contorted into a scowl.

"You haven't been much better for us, Bludvist." She responded, swinging her staff at his head which he parried with his bullhook. She used the hook of her staff to yank his weapon away and tried to land a hit on his face, but she was kicked back sending her sprawling to the ground. She tried to get up but was stopped by Drago's boot pressing down on her chest. He ripped her helmet away. 

He lifted the point of his weapon to attack. "I was expecting more... maybe this will be easier than I thought." He gave a humorless laugh and raised his weapon.

Drago was kicked back, dropping his hook. She looked to see Hiccup reaching out his hand to help her up. She gave him a grin, she couldn't see his face, but she could tell he returned it. Hiccup turned to Drago. "Don't get your hopes up." 

Drago got up again and looked Hiccup up and down. "You are just a boy." He said with a malicious laugh.

He stopped laughing when Hiccup ignited his sword. Toothless landed next to Hiccup growling at Drago. "A boy with a fire sword. I'd say the odds are about even, asshole."

"I will break you!" Drago sneered.

The two began to circle each other. "You'll try!" Hiccup said sarcastically. They leaped at one and other and locked blades.

Valka got to her feet and raised her staff again, joining the fight. She swung at his left knee, only to be blocked by another blade. It was the trapper with the tattoed face. He smirked. "Oh... You didn't think this would be easy, did you?" 

The two pairs began their melee, neither one giving an inch. The alphas wrestling for control above them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	19. For God knows where. (Mixed)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Duels.  
> Decisions.  
> Consequences.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy!

Hiccup wasn't strong enough to overpower Drago, he knew that. He had to use his speed and the fire from Inferno to win this. He got into a rhythm of sorts with Drago, block, parry, attack, he needed to switch it up, being predictable wasn't a good thing. He quickly dodged a downwards swing from Drago by rolling out of the way, using the opening to kick his knee. Drago dropped to one knee. 

"You have skill with a blade, I'll say that much, boy." Before Hiccup had a chance to respond Drago charged him, slamming him into a boulder and pinning him to it, the impact knocked the wind out of his lungs. "But you are too weak to win."

Hiccup could hardly respond, still catching his breath. "Y-you talk too much."

His response only served to aggravate the larger man, as he pressed harder and his face contorted into a scowl. "I will destroy you and when I do I'll take your night fury's hide and mount it-" 

He was cut off by Hiccup. "You know the good thing about prosthetics Drago?" He asked, using one of his hands to detach his leg. Drago only looked at him with an incredulous look on his face. "They detach!" He swung his leg into Drago's stomach, staggering and winding the warlord, he used the opportunity to push him back. He reignited Inferno and reattached his leg. 

Drago raised himself to his feet and charged once more locking weapons with Hiccup.

<Astrid's POV>

* * *

She could hear the three massive dragons clashing on the beach, but her job was elsewhere. The phalanx of Vikings was able to beat the enemy back from the wall and out onto the beach, the fight devolved into a melee soon after, the Vikings losing patience and charging at the remaining trappers. To be fair they were doing a magnificent job, continually pushing back any counter-attacks that were attempted by the Trappers. The enemy was losing ground, morale, and therefore motivation, it made the Berkians job much easier. The plan was going perfectly until the other Ice-spitter arrived, it threw a complete wrench in their plan, taking their two biggest assets from the field. 

She could still hear Toothless dive-bombing remaining trappers and leading the others to do the same. The beach was complete chaos, fires everywhere, corpses lining the battlefield, and fires making the visibility much lower than it already was. The sun was beginning to rise, she realized, the battle had lasted the night. 

Astrid quickly lunged at a group of invaders, cutting them down. The smoke cleared for a moment, and she saw Hiccup and his mother engaged in vicious duels, both sides not giving an inch. The sight of Hiccup being pinned made her heart jump to her throat. She released a long breath when he broke free and locked blades with other man again. His mother wasn't fairing as well as he was though.

<Valka's POV>

* * *

He was quick. The trapper was far faster than she was, making blocking difficult, especially with his short blade. She kept her showmanship to a minimum while she fought, he was the complete opposite, at one point even _throwing_ his blade in the air.

She was tripped by a sweep to her legs, falling on her back. The trapper stood above her.

"Well, this has been fun." He mocked. "But I'm afraid it's over."

He raised his weapon to stab her, and she closed her eyes.

She didn't feel the blade pierce her, however, and she opened her eyes finding Hiccup's blade thrown into the trapper's stomach, still alight. Hiccup _threw_ his sword.

<Hiccup's POV>

* * *

Hiccup pushed Drago back again. He glanced over to see his mom on the ground with her opponent above her, ready to strike.

He made his choice. It wasn't hard, he wasn't going to lose her again. He threw his blade at the trapper, it found its way into his chest.

He knew what this meant for him even before he saw Drago thrust his spear into his chest, it hurt like hell, but it would've hurt more to see his mom die.

Drago pulled his spear out and laughed. "Selfless, but foolish."

Hiccup fell back onto the ground, pressing his hands over the wound. Odin, it hurt, he was breathing heavily and crying. Drago couldn't see his face, luckily. He heard his mom cry out, he couldn't hear it over his heartbeat.

He saw the King slam the Challenger back and his brother charged and rammed into the side of the challenger's face, causing a massive tusk to fall. Drago quickly retreated, knowing the battle was lost.

He was laying on the coarse sand for what felt like hours before his mom came into view. "Hiccup! Please, no! I'm not losing you!" She was crying and her face had an expression of despair. 

She knelt next to him and put his head in her lap. She took off his helmet. "I don't want to die, mom." He said sadly

She lifted him into her arms and began rushing towards the village. "You won't, Hiccup, just keep pressing it!"

Astrid came running from behind them and looked at him with her hands clasped over her mouth, tears in her eyes. "Gods, no..." She grabbed his hand and held on for dear life.

It wasn't long before they reached the Healers hut.

His eyes began to get heavy. A familiar black shape came bursting into the hut and ran towards him, he didn't mean to, but he fell asleep soon after.

He heard the cry of Toothless as he did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sort of evil, aren't I? I hope you can forgive me!  
> Major character death ain't happening before you get angry, it's not in the tags. Eret is dead though, sorry if you liked him.  
> Thanks for reading!


	20. I guess I'll know, When I get there (Valka)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aftermath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sad stuff in this one, obviously.  
> Enjoy.

She watched the trapper drop in front of her in shock. She quickly looked to Hiccup and saw Drago thrust his spear into his chest. 

_"Hiccup!"_

He dropped to the ground and Drago quickly ran following his Bewilderbeast. She got to her feet and ran to his side. There was so much blood. His breathing was muffled by his helmet, but she could tell he was crying.

"Please, no! I'm not losing you!" She raised his head and took off the black dragon scale helmet and dropped it next to her. He had tear tracks going down his face and was gasping for breath. He was terrified, more than she had ever seen him and she could hardly do anything to comfort him. Even when she had saved him after the raid on the trappers' fort, it wasn't this bad.

"I don't want to die, mom." He said and she broke and began to cry. She carefully lifted him into her arms and tried to reassure him, but she was trying to reassure herself as well. She through the breach in the wall and rushed up the hill to the village. The healer was the only hope she had left.

"Gods, no..." The girl, Astrid, ran next to her, she grasped Hiccup's free hand trying to reassure him and ran next to her. They ran past some of the Berkians, who looked at Hiccup in shock, they thought him invincible with the night fury by his side. She couldn't give a damn about her identity at this point. They made it to the village and she ran past the Berserker chief and straight into the Healer's hut. The Healer looked at her with wide eyes before she rushed over to the cot and gestured for Valka to put Hiccup on it. 

The Healer quickly got to work stopping the bleeding, when Toothless burst into the hut, rushing to Hiccup's side. She saw Hiccup's body go limp and heard Toothless cry out in protest. The Healer spoke.

"Get the dragon back, I need room to work!"

Valka pulled on the night fury's harness, he growled at her but relented eventually. Valka stroked Toothless' head and hid her face and tears in his scales, not wanting to see Hiccup bleed anymore. 

It was her fault. She was the reason he was bleeding out on a cot. Hiccup saved her because she couldn't beat a lone trapper.

It didn't feel like it had been that long before the healer tapped her shoulder.

"He'll live." It was the greatest news she had ever heard. She ran back into the hut and right to Hiccup's side. He looked so small and frail, so unlike the 'Demon Rider' that the world thought of him as and it somehow broke her even more. 

Astrid walked in the door, not making a sound. Until she saw Hiccup, then she began to sob softly. She looked at Valka.

"I had just told him I loved him the other night." Valka wasn't as surprised as she should've been. "If he-WHEN he wakes up, can I go with you? I don't want to go back to Berk." Valka nodded slightly.

She was going to need as much help as possible.

She was going to kill Drago Bludvist, for daring to hurt her son.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be a sequel, that will go up tomorrow.  
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
